In the related art, JP 2011-213338A (paragraphs [0032]-[0033] and FIG. 1) (Reference 1) discloses a sunroof apparatus. This sunroof apparatus includes a movable panel which can open or close an opening formed in the roof of a vehicle, and a deflector that is disposed along a front edge portion of the opening. This sunroof apparatus further includes guide rails which are disposed in both end portions of the opening in a lateral direction of the vehicle, and extend in a longitudinal direction; driving shoes which can move along the guide rails in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and support brackets, front end portions of which are supported by the guide rails in such a manner that the support brackets can turn and move in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, and which are connected to the driving shoes in a rear portion of the vehicle, and support the movable panel. Along with the movement of the driving shoes, in a fully closed state of the movable panel, when the support brackets pivotally turn relative to front end portions of the support brackets such that rear ends of the support brackets are raised, the movable panel is tilted upward, and when the front end portions of the support brackets continuously move toward the rear of the vehicle, the movable panel slides while being tilted upward.
The deflector has arm portions that extend rearward from both end portions of the deflector in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and when the arm portions turn in such a manner that front ends of the arm portions pivotally move upward relative to rear end portions thereof, the deflector protrudes further upward than the upper surface of the roof in a vertical direction of the vehicle. A biasing member biases the arm portions in a turning direction in which the front ends of the arm portions pivotally move upward relative to the rear end portions.
In contrast, an engaging pin protrudes from the front end portion of each of the support brackets in the lateral direction of the vehicle. For example, when the movable panel is in a fully closed state, the engaging pin presses the arm portion downward in the vertical direction of the vehicle, and thus while counteracting the biasing force of the biasing member, the engaging pin holds the arm portion at a turning position in which the front end of the arm portion pivotally moves downward relative to the rear end portion thereof. When the support brackets slide along the guide rails toward the rear of the vehicle such that the movable panel is opened, the engaging pins release the arm portions. Accordingly, the deflector, the arm portions of which are biased by the biasing member as described above, protrudes further upward than the upper surface of the roof in the vertical direction of the vehicle.
In the sunroof apparatus disclosed in Reference 1, it is necessary to separately provide the engaging pin that presses the arm portion, and thus the number of components is increased.